He's the One
by Darkfire75
Summary: AU GerUK. A type of slice-of-life fic centering around Ludwig Beilschmidt and Arthur Kirkland's relationship.
1. Chapter 1: Waiting Up

_**Author's note:**__ Hey look, a new fic by me! And it's not FrUk for once lul. Okay so I ship England/Germany pretty hard (not as hard as FrUK but pretty close) and I was sad to notice not a lot of fanfics of them (though the ones I have read are amazing and are what inspired me) and so I got this idea to do an AU slice-of-life type fic following their relationship through everyday stuff. This was the first chapter I wrote. There will be mostly fluff in this fic but there will be some sexual moments. I'm sorry if they both seem a little OOC, I took some liberties with how I perceived Germany's personality and since I'm starting this while the two of them are kind of a new couple, I figured their nervousness would be pretty normal. There will be background chapters and stuff explaining a lot of things so hopefully everything will make sense eventually._

_Blah. I should just let you guys read lol Just note that none of these chapters were written in any kind of order. Whatever idea came to me, I fit it into their timeline c: Also, just so you all know, they're in their late 20s in most of the chapters. Anyway, enjoy!_

**Chapter 1: Waiting Up **

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Arthur was curled up on the couch asleep when he came home from work. Ludwig smiled in spite of himself as he hung up his coat and softly walked over to his sleeping boyfriend. Had he tried to wait up for him? He brushed some of Arthur's bangs away from his forehead and bent down to lay a kiss there.

Arthur moaned and his eyes fluttered open. It took him a moment to be able to see clearly again. "Lud…?" he asked.

Ludwig nodded. "I just got in."

"Oh…" Arthur's cheeks were pink. "I must have dozed off."

"Were you waiting up for me?"

"Maybe," he said softly. Ludwig sat down beside him on the couch and instantly Arthur curled into his side, resting his head on his shoulder. "I always seem to be asleep when you get home," he mumbled. "That's why I tried to stay up this time."

Ludwig smiled slightly. "You didn't have to, Arthur."

"I _wanted_ to."

Ludwig wrapped an arm around him, welcoming the heat from Arthur's body. His British boyfriend always seemed to amaze or confuse him at one time or another. When he expected something, Arthur would turn around and do something completely different. The fact that he obviously cared so much as to stay up and wait for him and risk losing sleep touched Ludwig deeply.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Arthur looked up at him through lidded green eyes. "For what?"

"For caring." He bent his head down and their lips met in a gentle kiss. Ludwig wished they could have done more, but it was late and they were both tired.

They were both blushing after the kiss and Ludwig felt like he was a young teenager again. The two of them had never really gotten over the awkwardness of going from friends to lovers and were still adjusting, but he hoped in time they could kiss each other without feeling nervous and awkward.

Arthur yawned then, prompting Ludwig to do the same shortly after. "I think it's time we went to bed," he said as he stood up from the couch.

The Brit seemed reluctant to move, so Ludwig wrapped an arm around his back and under his legs and lifted him up. "W-What are you doing?" he cried, eyes suddenly wide.

"Taking you to bed." Ludwig tried to hide his smile as Arthur grumbled and blushed furiously.

"I can walk perfectly fine, Ludwig."

"I know."

It seemed all of Arthur's fight was gone by the time they entered the bedroom. He was barely awake as Ludwig carefully laid him down on the bed, bringing the covers up around him. Arthur turned, blinking his bleary eyes at him. "I love you," he whispered, and if Ludwig hadn't been so close, he wouldn't have heard him. His cheeks flushed pink as he tucked Arthur in.

Then he bent down and kissed his forehead. When he pulled back, he caressed Arthur's cheek and allowed the corners of his mouth to lift into a smile. "_Ich liebe dich auch_," he said and Arthur smiled back at him.

Ludwig quietly changed into his pajama bottoms and then slid under the covers where Arthur immediately rolled over to rest his head on his chest and wrap his arm around him. Ludwig felt his heart swell happily. Closing his eyes, he turned on his side so that he could wrap his arms around Arthur, letting sleep overtake him.

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_THE FLUFF. IT'S BLINDING. D: _

_Ich liebe dich auch = I love you too. I almost had him say it in English but I thought the German might be a little more meaningful for Arthur._


	2. Chapter 2: Cooking

_**Author's note:**__ DERP. Here's chapter 2. It's short but cute c:_

**Chapter 2: Cooking **

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**Ludwig never let Arthur cook. It was just an unspoken rule when they decided to live together. The only thing Arthur was allowed to make was tea. Ludwig wasn't sure why his boyfriend couldn't cook, as he seemed to really love it. He just wasn't bestowed with the gift. That's why Ludwig was surprised by the smell of something burning when he came home from the gym one afternoon.

He rushed to the kitchen and saw Arthur frantically using the fire extinguisher on the stove, which was now black and charred. Arthur was swearing in every language he knew and then wiped his brow of sweat and dust. That's when he noticed Ludwig was home.

His eyes widened and he seemed to try finding an explanation before his boyfriend got mad. "I…um…"

"Arthur," Ludwig said, eye twitching, "were you cooking?"

"I just wanted to make some soup!" he cried. "I thought I'd get lunch ready for you and then, I must have looked away for a second, and the bloody thing caught on fire a-and…" He sniffed a little and Ludwig could see his eyes were watering in shame and he felt bad instantly. Arthur had only wanted to do something nice for him. Granted, he'd destroyed an expensive stove and Ludwig would have to call his brother the next day to see if it could be salvaged, but…the thought was nice. "I'm sorry," Arthur moaned pathetically. "I'll pay for a new stove, I will! I get my paycheck this week and—"

Ludwig put a finger over his lips to quiet him. "It's fine," he sighed.

Arthur blinked. "What?"

"I said," he walked over to Arthur and wrapped him up in a hug, startling the shorter man, "that it's fine. I'm not mad."

"Y-You're not?" Arthur was shaking in his arms and it was obvious he felt absolutely terrible about ruining everything.

Ludwig answered him with a kiss to the cheek, surprising both himself and Arthur at the gesture. "Your intentions make up for it," he mumbled.

Arthur blushed but hugged him back before pulling away. "I'll just…clean up the kitchen then…" He looked forlornly at the mess and almost wanted to go hide himself away for doing such damage to Ludwig's home.

"I'll help," Ludwig said suddenly, removing his workout jacket. Arthur's eyes widened.

"You will?"

"I can't make you clean this all by yourself, Arthur." He rolled up his sleeves and offered his boyfriend a small smile. "Hand me that Sham-Wow. Looks like it's finally going to be put to good use."

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_Yes. They own a Sham-Wow. Arthur bought it on a whim and they never really had a chance to use it. Until now. LOL_


	3. Chapter 3: The First Time

_**Author's note:**__ Here is the third chapter in my slice-of-life AU GerEng fic. This chapter takes place roughly about a few months into their relationship. I wanted to make their first time painfully awkward with lots of epic fail but...that didn't happen. I made it as awkward as possible while still keeping the hotness factor in. Besides all the fluff/humor in this fic, there will be sex because these guys are in a pretty healthy relationship. I hope no one minds hurrhurr ;w; But anyway, I hope you like this chapter~ _

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**Chapter 3**

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The first time they had sex, it was just as, if not more, awkward then when they first kissed. Ludwig wasn't sure what he was doing and neither was Arthur. They both were clearly aroused, and Ludwig made a mental note to himself that rubbing Arthur's eyebrows would make him melt into a puddle of goo. They'd gotten over the shyness of getting naked and were now at a stand still in the bedroom.

Arthur was beautifully flushed and kneeling on the bed while Ludwig was standing off to the side still very unsure with himself. He knew Arthur was in love with him and he knew he loved Arthur…but it was difficult to describe how strange it felt to go from friends to lovers within a year. Last year he never would have imagined he'd be standing naked in his bedroom with Arthur only a few feet away.

"Ludwig?" Arthur's voice was gentle.

Ludwig turned to face his boyfriend, shyly trying to cover his privates. He slowly moved towards the bed. Almost instantly, he felt Arthur's eyes on him – watching him. "I've never done this before," he managed to say.

Ludwig knew Arthur had been in a relationship before him, so he expected the other to have a little knowledge with what went where and how he liked certain things.

"Just…relax," Arthur said softly. He patted the bed for Ludwig to move closer. The German nodded and crawled onto the bed to sit beside him. They sat there staring at each other for a long moment. Arthur admired his muscles while Ludwig admired how gorgeous Arthur was. "We can kiss to start," Arthur mumbled. He leaned closer and their lips brushed clumsily.

Ludwig felt Arthur's tongue pressing against his lips and groaned a little, opening his mouth to let him in. He felt Arthur's hand on his knee rubbing in circles to try and calm him down. He wished he could do more but he wanted to let Arthur help and guide him through it so that he didn't make any mistakes. He wanted to make his boyfriend happy.

Arthur's kisses became more insistent. He was leaning over more, letting his hand move down Ludwig's knee to his thigh. He ran his fingers along the inner thigh and Ludwig jerked. It felt good but…strange. Arthur pulled back from the kiss and stared into his eyes. "You all right?" he asked.

"I want to make you feel good," Ludwig murmured, cheeks red.

Arthur smiled a little and grabbed one of Ludwig's hands, placing it on his hip. "Hold your hand here," he said. "You can move it wherever you want when you want." Ludwig stared at his hand on Arthur's hip and moved it down a little, towards his backside. Arthur gave a pleased sigh and rested his head on Ludwig's shoulder. "See? You're getting it," he breathed.

His lips ghosted over Ludwig's collar bone and shoulder. Ludwig let out a small moan and his grip on Arthur tightened. "Arthur," he panted.

"Shh, love." Arthur moved more so that he was halfway in Ludwig's lap. He was licking and suckling on Ludwig's throat and neck now, enjoying the little sounds his boyfriend was making. Ludwig felt himself harden more. Arthur's mouth was on one of his nipples and Ludwig let out a loud moan. "Ah, you like that, hmm?" Arthur swirled his tongue on the nipple and Ludwig's head fell back in ecstasy.

Right on the back of the headboard.

Ludwig gave a cry of pain and Arthur immediately backed away. "Oh god, I'm sorry!" he cried frantically.

"N-No, it wasn't your fault…" Technically, it kind of was, but he didn't voice that.

Arthur pouted and sat back on his lap. "I just ruined the mood, didn't I?"

Ludwig blinked and looked down at himself, noticing he had gone limp. Oh. Well. That was an embarrassing problem. "We can get it back," he insisted. Arthur shook his head.

"Maybe…it was too soon for this."

"No!" They had both been waiting for months since they'd started dating and he knew his body couldn't wait anymore. The same could be said for Arthur, who was still gloriously hard. "Arthur…I want this. I do." He leaned forward and pulled him into a kiss.

Arthur responded eagerly, pressing against him and rolling his hips down on Ludwig's. "Don't hurt yourself anymore then," he breathed, reaching between them to take Ludwig's cock in his hand.

Ludwig gasped. He was hard again almost instantly. Arthur was moving much faster than he had before. He was needy and sweating and…what was he doing? Ludwig watched in fascination as Arthur sat up and positioned his cock under his ass. "W-Wait, Arthur. Don't you need to be p-prepared first?"

"Did it before you came home," he replied, biting his lip as he pushed the head against himself.

Ludwig's cock twitched at the mental image of Arthur on the bed with his finger up his ass, preparing himself. Oh _Gott_…

"But—"

"Do you want this or not, Lud?" Ludwig could _feel_ himself almost inside. He watched Arthur's face as the Brit lowered himself down, moaning as the head was pushed in.

"I…"

"Yes or no?" He pushed himself down more and Ludwig groaned, bucking his hips up.

"Yes! Oh _scheisse_!" Arthur sank down on him fully and both of them gasped. Arthur's legs were on either side of his hips and Ludwig tried to see more of what was going on and nearly came right then as Arthur started to move. His palms were pressed against Ludwig's chest, helping him bounce up and down. "A-Arthur…"

"Shh, love," the Brit panted back, arching his slender back as he rode him. "Calm down. Relax. I know what I'm doing."

Ludwig could only watch and loosely keep his hands on Arthur's ass, staring as his cock disappeared inside the smaller man with each movement. It felt incredible and painful all at once. He hadn't imagined how tight Arthur would be. Arthur placed his hands on Ludwig's shoulders and started bouncing faster.

"_God_, feels so good," he moaned.

"Arthur, I—" But whatever Ludwig wanted to say was cut off as Arthur did something which made him scream loudly. "Did I hurt you?" Ludwig asked in a panic.

"No," he swallowed. "Bloody hell no. That felt amazing…Oh Lud…" He leaned in and kissed his boyfriend's lips. "I want you to fuck me now," he whispered in his ear. "Please…" He leaned back and Ludwig could barely think clearly. He slowly lowered Arthur down onto the bed sheets (still inside of him), marveling at how beautiful he looked when he was flushed. Arthur's legs came around to wrap around his waist and Ludwig nervously pushed his hips forward.

Arthur gave a low groan and his hands clawed at Ludwig's back. "Yessssss…"

Taking that as a good sign, he moved again and found he quite liked the rhythm. With each thrust he gave, Arthur would gasp or moan back, pleading for more. And as he picked up his pace, Arthur could hardly contain his desire. "Yeah, baby, right there," he moaned when Ludwig thrust in deeply. And then he screamed as Ludwig did something (apparently) wonderful and his back arched up and their hips were so close and Ludwig swore he saw stars as Arthur's inner muscles clamped down on his cock and he cried out as he came all over his stomach. Ludwig had a brief moment to stare at Arthur's smiling face, covered in sweat, before he felt his hips jerk and his body tense and an intense orgasm wash over him.

He didn't want to crush Arthur so he fell to the side as much as he could, pulling himself out gently with a wet pop. "That," Arthur said, turning on his side, "was fucking brilliant." He put a hand behind Ludwig's head and pulled him in for a kiss. "_You_ are fucking brilliant," he added.

Ludwig smiled back as best he could since he felt sapped of energy. He allowed Arthur to snuggle against him and was almost asleep when he heard Arthur whisper, "I love you." His heart thumped in his chest.

"I love you too," he replied and Arthur's arms tightened around his middle.


	4. Chapter 4: Arthur's Birthday

_**Author's note:**__ Here's another chapter~ This time I introduce Gilbert, since he plays a pretty big role in both Ludwig's life and Arthur's._

**Chapter 4: Arthur's Birthday **

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On Arthur's birthday, Ludwig's brother Gilbert took Arthur out for drinks (since they had been best friends since high school). That left Ludwig approximately four hours to get everything ready. He didn't like to admit he was a romantic, but he wanted everything to be perfect for when his boyfriend came home. He decided to make Arthur's favorite food and slip in one of his favorite movies into the DVD player.

Ludwig tended to change what he did for Arthur's birthday every year since they'd been friends (and lovers). Some years they'd just go see a movie together. For others, they'd go out to dinner. Tonight Ludwig felt it was time they actually did both on the same night.

Just as he was finishing up and letting the food cool down, he heard the front door burst open and Gilbert shout out, "HEY! LUD! I BROUGHT YOUR BOYFRIEND BACK!"

Ludwig glared at him as he walked into the living room. "I can see that, Gilbert." That's when he noticed Arthur slumped against his brother. His eyes widened and he rushed forward. "What did you do to him?"

"Whoa, hey, I didn't do anything!" Gilbert cried. "S'not my fault Artie can't hold his liquor."

"…Can too," the Brit mumbled, falling into Ludwig's arms. "Oh…hey, Lud."

"Arthur, are you all right?" Arthur gave a lazy smile and made the thumbs up signal with his right hand. Ludwig was not impressed. "Okay, I'm taking you to bed."

"Ew, Luddy. Please, not in front of me," Gilbert pretended to gag.

"I didn't mean it like that!" he growled, cheeks flushed.

"Whatever. I'm gonna chill on your couch, okay?"

"What? Don't you have an apartment with those friends of yours?"

"Yeah, but Francis is like…having an orgy in his bedroom tonight and Toni has his little boytoy hanging around and I just don't wanna deal with that shit, ya know?" Gilbert plopped himself down on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table. "Got any food?"

Ludwig wanted to throw him out but decided he better deal with Arthur first. His boyfriend could barely stand on his own. Ludwig felt the night's plans going down the drain and felt like it had all been for nothing as he carefully lifted Arthur into his arms and carried him to their bedroom. Once there, he sat Arthur down on the bed and filled a cup with water in the adjoining bathroom before coming back in and handing the cup to Arthur.

Arthur blinked his eyes at it curiously. "It'll help prevent a severe hangover tomorrow," Ludwig explained with a sigh. The Brit grumbled something before downing it all. Ludwig sat beside him and rubbed his back as Arthur rested his head on his shoulder.

"M'sorry," Arthur mumbled.

"For what?"

"For ruinin' everything…"

Ludwig shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"But you worked so hard, Lud…"

He shrugged. "It's fine, Arthur. I'm just glad you're home safe."

Arthur's cheeks were red (either from the alcohol or from embarrassment, Ludwig couldn't tell). He snuggled against the German more. "We can still celebrate tomorrow," he offered.

"We can," Ludwig agreed, rubbing Arthur's arm gently. "You should get some rest."

"Do I have to?"

Ludwig smiled at how childish Arthur was when he was drunk. "Yes. I'll be back in shortly. I need to go decide what to do with Gilbert."

"Mm…okay…." Arthur leaned up and kissed his cheek before crawling towards his side of the bed and flopping down on his stomach. Ludwig looked back at him before getting up off the bed and walking back towards the living room. Gilbert had found the food he had cooked for Arthur all night and he really didn't have the energy to yell at his brother now.

"Artie asleep?" Gilbert asked.

"I think so," Ludwig sighed, sitting beside him.

"What movie's in the DVD player?"

"…Pirates of the Caribbean."

"Black Pearl?"

"It's Arthur's favorite."

"Oh. Cool." There was an awkward silence. "So uh…sorry. For, you know, getting your boyfriend drunk and unable to enjoy the food and movie you had ready." Ludwig glared at him. "But hey, the good news is that this food isn't the greatest so Artie's really not missing out on much." The blonde's left eye started to twitch. "Not that you're a bad cook or anything. Unlike Artie. Fuck, man does he suck. But—"

"Gilbert."

"…Yeah?"

Ludwig smacked him upside the head. "Shut up."

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_Gil's a derp :U _


	5. Chapter 5: Christmas

_**Author's note: **__Oh hey look an update 8D So this is kinda late...I wrote this around Christmas orz. Here we meet Arthur's 3 older brothers (and they'll be showing up in other chapters too). Hope you like it c:_

_Wales - Gareth (the oldest)_  
_Scotland - Patrick (second oldest)_  
_Ireland - Erin (third oldest)_

(Take away the spaces when you copy/paste)  
_This is the design I use when I write Wales(Gareth): http:/ / i185. photobucket. com/albums/x152/CrimsonAlchemist75/wales. png_  
_And the design I use when I write Scotland(Pat): http:/ / i185. photobucket. com/albums/x152/CrimsonAlchemist75/scotland. png_  
_I used the design my friend made of Ireland(Erin): http:/ / i185. photobucket. com/albums/x152/CrimsonAlchemist75/TabiIreland. jpg_

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**_Chapter 5: Christmas _**

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It was almost Christmas and Ludwig couldn't understand why Arthur was so adamant about not inviting his brothers for dinner. He understood if Arthur's family was…eccentric. Gilbert wasn't exactly the best of company, so Ludwig felt he could deal with anything Arthur's brothers could dish out. But when asked about it, Arthur shook his head in a firm "no" and tried to keep the subject off family.

But this was their first Christmas as a couple and Ludwig felt he should at least meet Arthur's brothers at _some point_. The holidays just seemed the right time. Arthur would disagree.

"They're horrible," he grumbled as they decorated their tree.

Ludwig handed him a star to hang at the top. "How so?"

"They just are."

"Arthur."

Arthur groaned as he placed the star on top. "Ludwig, do I really have to explain?"

"Yes," he said sternly.

"Fine. They're all older than me and they made my life hell growing up, all right? They teased me and belittled me and called me all sorts of names like 'runt' and 'shortie.' I was glad when they all left for university."

"That sounds like all siblings, Arthur."

"Well they're not like 'all siblings', Ludwig!" Arthur crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "They're loud, and annoying, and they'll just poke fun at me the whole time."

Ludwig frowned and walked over to him. "I won't let them."

"Ha, good look trying."

Ludwig hugged him to his chest. "Pouting won't make me change my mind, Arthur."

"Dammit," he grumbled. "Fine. I'll…call Erin first thing in the morning, okay?" Ludwig leaned down and kissed his cheek. Arthur turned pink almost instantly.

The next morning, Ludwig heard Arthur talking (well, screaming) on the phone with someone. His guess was one of his brothers.

"Don't you 'how's the sex' me, Erin! I am not calling to discuss my love life! Oh shove it up your arse, you bloody ginger! Are Gareth and Pat there with you? BECAUSE IT'S BLOODY IMPORTANT, THAT'S WHY. Thank you, that's all I wanted to know. Now. I have a question for you all. You can decline if you want. Ludwig…and I…were wondering if you would like to…join us for Christmas dinner this year. …No, this isn't a bloody joke. _Yes_, I am aware of what happened the last Christmas we were together. _Everyone _on Mum and Dad's block knows what happened. Look, Lud really wants you guys there so I said I'd ask, all right?" Ludwig saw Arthur roll his eyes at something his brother must have said. Then his eyes widened. "Oh. Y-You're going to really come then? I-Isn't it a long drive down? Oh. Well. Um. I guess…we look forward to seeing you?" There was a pause and then Arthur scowled. "Oh fuck you, Pat. Get off the bloody phone." Then he hung up and flopped forward onto the bed with a groan.

Ludwig sat up and ran a hand through Arthur's hair. "Thank you."

Arthur turned to look at him with narrowed eyes. "You owe me for this."

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When the (dreaded) day finally arrived, Arthur decided to try faking the flu. Ludwig didn't buy it and gave him the 'do what I ask and you might be rewarded later' look. Arthur went about cursing as he dusted and made sure everything looked all right for when their guests arrived.

Ludwig was in charge of the cooking (as usual) and so once Arthur was done cleaning, he really had nothing else to do to occupy his time. And then the doorbell rang and he cringed, praying it wasn't his brothers yet. To his luck, it was just Gilbert, who paraded in with a huge grin.

"Heya, Artie!" He took his best friend into a hug. "Didja miss me?"

"I just saw you last week," Arthur grumbled against his chest, unable to pull away from the hug.

"Aww, don't be a sourpuss." He pulled away and started looking around. "Where's Lud? In the kitchen?"

Arthur nodded, watching Gilbert run into the kitchen to go bug his brother, and sat down on the couch, glaring at the Christmas tree as though this family gathering was _its _fault. He could hear Gilbert being loud and obnoxious followed by Ludwig's replying grunts and sighs.

Then the doorbell rang a second time and Arthur visibly shuddered. They were here. He slowly got up from the sofa and turned the door knob. Three men stomped into the room, the tallest one looking around and then grinning once he set his dark green eyes on his younger brother.

"Runt!" he said cheerfully, patting Arthur's back roughly. Arthur almost felt his knees give out.

"Hey, Patrick," he grumbled.

His other brother Erin pulled him into a playful chokehold. "Ye miss us, boyo?" he grinned.

"G-Gah! Erin, let go!" Arthur struggled in his grip. "Gare, help!" He looked to his oldest brother Gareth for some kind of help.

The shorter, stalkier of the brothers shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, Art."

Ludwig, obviously hearing all the commotion from the living room burst in upon an unusual scene. He found Arthur surrounded by his three older brothers, caught in a chokehold by a tall redhead while being poked and prodded by a muscular brunette with a beard. He was wearing a…was that a _kilt_?

"Lud!" Arthur gasped. The three brothers turned and almost instantly let wide grins cross their faces.

"This be the lad our baby brother's so infatuated with?" Erin sneered.

"He's a lot bigger than I imagined," Patrick said casually. "Ye like big men, runt?"

Arthur tried to kick him but his ability to move was restricted. "Um," Ludwig's blue eyes were wide. "I'm Ludwig…nice to…meet you?"

Patrick strode forward with his hand out. "Aye, I'm Patrick. Most just call me Pat."

Ludwig awkwardly shook his hand, eyes still on Arthur. "Um…are you going to let him go?" he finally asked.

Erin blinked and then pulled away from Arthur with a smirk. "It's all in good fun. I'm Erin by the way."

"And I'm Gareth," the last brother mumbled.

Ludwig nodded to each of them. Gilbert suddenly walked in eating a cookie and stared at everyone. "Oh, hey, more people," he said. "Yo, Artie, what happened to you?"

Arthur glared at him as he walked to stand next to Ludwig.

"Who's this?" Patrick asked, heavy brows furrowed.

Gilbert swallowed his cookie and grinned. "I'm Gilbert, Artie's best friend and Luddy's bro. I'm guessin' you're Artie's brothers?"

"Unfortunately," Arthur hissed.

"Aww, you love us, runt," Pat said pinching Arthur's cheek.

"Well, uh, dinner's almost ready," Ludwig said, clearing his throat. "If you all would make your way to the kitchen…"

Erin and Patrick started shoving each other as they walked into the kitchen, Gareth following behind shaking his head. Gilbert shrugged and followed after them. Arthur looked up at Ludwig pleadingly once they were gone. "Can we _please _just tell them the dinner's ruined and then make them leave?"

"No," Ludwig sighed.

"But you saw what they did to me! Ludwig, I can't stand having them here! I won't let them bully me again! I won't!" The German suddenly pulled him into a kiss, effectively shutting him up. Arthur blinked and his cheeks turned red. "Are you mad? They could have seen!"

"So let them," he said. "Don't let them ruin the holiday, Arthur."

Arthur scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Ugh, fine. But like I said before, you owe me big time."

Ludwig smiled slightly and wrapped an arm around his waist, steering him into the kitchen. Everyone was already seated. Ludwig pulled Arthur towards the center of the room so all eyes would be on them. Arthur looked like he'd rather die in a hole.

"We want to thank you all for joining us in our home this Christmas," Ludwig began. "It means a lot to have family here at this time." He nudged Arthur.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Right. Family." He glared at his snickering brothers at the table.

"So I prepared the dinner tonight—"

"Art didn't help, right?" Erin laughed.

Arthur's ears turned red in embarrassment. Ludwig coughed and, sensing Arthur's anger, he sent a glare at Erin for good measure. "No, it was all me."

The glare seemed to silence the redhead and soon Arthur and Ludwig were sitting at the table. Arthur was in between Gareth and Ludwig. Everyone started to grab what they wanted and began eating. Gilbert, Erin and Pat were talking and seemed to be getting along well enough. Arthur was slowly picking at his food when he felt a poke on his right and turned to Gareth with a frown.

"How are you doing, Arthur? Really?" he said softly. "Mum hardly hears from you anymore and she's worried." He lowered his voice more. "And no matter what those big oafs say, they really missed you."

Arthur faked a laugh. "So now you care about my life, Gare?"

Ludwig didn't want to overhear their conversation but he was curious and out of all the brothers, Gareth seemed to be the one that actually cared for Arthur and looked out for him.

"I've always cared, you idiot," the taller blonde snarled. "You remember when you left home right after you graduated high school? Pat and Erin came home from university and were an utter _mess _when Mum told them you'd left without so much as a good bye."

Arthur blinked and slowly looked over at his other two brothers, laughing and joking with Gilbert. "…Really?" he whispered.

"Yeah. You don't know how long it took me to get them away from our room that whole weekend. They just kept moaning 'The runt's gone, what'll we do?' like pathetic idiots. It was sad, honestly."

Ludwig smiled a little as he saw Arthur shaking a little in shock. "Are you all right?" he asked gently, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Arthur looked back at him, biting his lip. "I…I think so."

Gareth smiled slightly as well. "I can see you're happy though." Arthur fiddled with his food some more. Gareth leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "Have you two gone all the way?"

Arthur bumped his knee under the table and cursed loudly. "D-Don't ask questions like that around the table!" he cried, nursing his knee. Unfortunately, his outburst caught the attentions of the others and he shamefully tried to pretend nothing had happened.

"So," Erin said loudly, "ye've done pretty all right for yerself, eh boyo?"

"As well as I can…" Arthur mumbled.

"Erin an' I were placin' bets, runt," Pat cut in with a huge smirk. "Are ye a pitcher or a catcher?"

Arthur's, as well as Ludwig's, eyes widened at that. Gilbert gagged off to the side. "Now wait a moment," Ludwig started, feeling embarrassed to have such things discussed. "That's not—"

"No, it's a perfectly legitimate question, Lud," Arthur interrupted, a smirk of his own on his lips as he stared at his brothers. "My brothers are curious is all."

Pat sneered. "That's right. We just wanna know."

"Yeah, um, can I leave? I really don't wanna hear about this," Gilbert groaned.

Arthur ignored him. "I think everyone should know."

"Arthur…" Ludwig looked very uncertain, a dull blush on his cheeks.

"I'm the 'pitcher'," Arthur finally said with a wicked grin. "That's right, I stick my cock up his arse. _And I like it_."

Gilbert was out of his chair in seconds, running for the bathroom. Patrick and Erin, meanwhile, were utterly gobsmacked and unable to think up a proper response. Gareth was shaking his head, an amused smile on his face.

Ludwig was a very nice shade of pink, trying to avoid the looks Arthur's brothers were giving him; like they couldn't believe a man of his size would allow someone like Arthur to be on top.

"Well," Patrick said after a moment, "I'm impressed, runt."

Arthur seemed very proud of himself for being able to make his brothers shut up for once. "As you should be."

"I always pegged ye as the catcher."

"W-Well I'm not. So there."

Erin nudged Pat. "You owe me a beer."

"Argh, fine, ye bloody arsehole. I'll buy ye one when we get back to the hotel, aye?"

Both of them stood up from the table and walked back into the living room. There was an uncomfortable silence once they were gone. Gareth was still sitting there and he was grinning at Arthur. "You just fucking lied to their faces."

"What? No I didn't." Arthur looked positively affronted that he would suggest such a thing.

"Ludwig, tell me the truth," Gareth said. "Does my baby brother really fuck you?"

Ludwig looked from Arthur to Gareth and found he couldn't lie. He shook his head. "Once or…twice he will. But mostly he wants me inside," he said quietly.

Arthur swore and hide his face in his hands. "You can't tell them!" he cried at Gareth. "Please, Gare!"

"I won't, I won't. It's not my business." Gareth wiped his face and stood to walk back into the living room as well.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Arthur leaned against Ludwig. "I'm sorry about that," he mumbled.

"I understand," Ludwig replied, gently rubbing his arm. "You should go say good bye to them before they leave. I need to go see if Gilbert's all right…"

Arthur would have much rather stayed away from his brothers but what Gareth had said before was still playing in his head and he was curious. So he nodded and walked into the living room, seeing his brothers sitting on the sofa.

"Where's Ludwig?" Erin asked.

"Tending to Gilbert. I…think I might have scarred him."

"Ha ha, ye kinda scarred us too," Pat said. Then suddenly his expression turned serious, which was startling for Arthur. "Art, are ye…happy here?"

Arthur wasn't so much as amazed at the question as he was at the nickname Patrick had called him by. He almost always called him 'runt', never by his name. "Of course I am," he said instantly.

"And Ludwig treats ye right?" Erin added, light green eyes narrowed.

"Yeah…" Were they…honestly trying to act like concerned brothers?

"He doesn't hurt ye or nothin'?"

"He's really very sweet."

"Ye look skinny. Is he feedin' ye all right?"

"Pat, I've always been this skinny."

"He doesn't—"

"Oh for fuck's sake," Gareth groaned, glaring at Erin and Patrick. "Stop being such prats and just tell him you missed him."

"Gare!" Pat cried, as though that were a closely guarded secret. His cheeks were flushed as he avoided Arthur's accusing look. Erin was staring at his feet, a dull blush forming over his freckles. Arthur crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fuck," Erin grumbled. "Okay, so we mighta maybe missed ye when ye left."

"Yeah, it wasn't like we cried or anythin'," Pat added.

Gareth snorted. "I beg to differ."

"Aw c'mon, Gare, now yer just bein' a bastard!"

Arthur allowed a rare smile onto his face. "We're one fucked up family if we can't even admit we miss each other," he said suddenly.

Patrick and Erin looked away in shame. Gareth clapped his hands together. "Right, well, good to get that off your chests, hmm?"

"Hold on," Erin said. "I got somethin' to say."

He then stood up and awkwardly walked closer to Arthur before slowly wrapping his arms around him in a hug. Arthur didn't move at first. Erin never hugged him. Usually he would have thrown Arthur onto the ground in another chokehold by now. "Erin…?"

"I admit, I missed ye, boyo," he said against his ear. "Mum said you'd left an' me an' Pat didn't know what to do. An' then we heard stuff that ye'd moved out here with some guy an'—"

"What the idiot's tryin' to say," Pat interjected, walking over to them and wrapping an arm around Arthur, "is that we're glad yer, ye know, safe an' well-taken care of. An' stuff." He coughed uncomfortably and scratched at his beard. "This is really hard."

Arthur almost wanted to cry. His brothers had _never_been this nice or honest with him before and he really wasn't sure what to make of it all. "I…don't know what to say," he finally said softly. "I thought you lot hated me and would be glad to have me gone so…"

"Oh runt, the family's not a family without ye, ye know," Pat ruffled Arthur's hair.

"Heh, r-right…" Arthur turned to hide the single tear that fell down his cheek.

"Boyo, you all right?" Erin asked.

"M'fine…just…something in my eye."

Erin and Pat seemed to share a look before grinning and attacking Arthur's sides. Arthur let out a yelp as he was tickled. "N-No! Stop y-you idiots! Ha ha!" He fell to the floor in a fit of giggles as his brothers tickled him without mercy.

Gareth watched from the sofa, smiling to himself at how childish is little brothers were. And then Ludwig chose that exact moment to come back into the room, hair in disarray and eyes wide. "What's going—" He stopped and stared at the scene before him. "Is everything…all right?" he asked Gareth. Arthur didn't seem to be in any pain. He was laughing and smiling and he just looked…happy.

"It is now," Gareth replied.

"L-Lud!" Arthur cried from the floor, squealing as Patrick tickled his side hard.

"What?" he said, a smile forming on his lips.

"T-Thank you!" He tried to crawl away but Erin pulled him right back and grinned wickedly as he tickled Arthur under his ribs. Arthur was nearly out of breath once his brothers had had enough. He slowly got to his feet, brushing himself off and suppressing a grin. He walked over to Ludwig and leaned up to kiss the side of his mouth, which had his brothers gagging off to the side. "Thank you," he said again.

"For what?" Ludwig cocked his head to the side.

"For telling me to invite my brothers over. I…had more fun than I ever thought I would."

Ludwig smiled. "I'm glad, Arthur."

Arthur didn't want to say it aloud, but he'd just had one of the best Christmases ever.


	6. Chapter 6: First Meeting

_**Author's note:**__ Oh hey look, a new chapter. I am so sorry it took so long. There are so many things going on in my life right now and I got lazy and procrastinated BUT IT'S HERE NOW. I DIDN'T ABANDON THIS FIC :) Like I said in the beginning, these chapters aren't in any specific chronological order so they jump around in the timelines a bit but towards the end of the story, things will start going in order. So it's my headcanon that Gilbert and Ludwig grew up in Germany but because their father got a job in England, they moved there and as Gilbert began secondary school (aka high school), he met Arthur and they instantly clicked. I'm sorry this chapter's so short. I'll be posting the next one right after :'D_

* * *

_**Chapter 6**_

**First Meeting**

* * *

The first time they met was when Arthur was 15 and Ludwig was 13. Arthur had been invited to his new best friend's house and of course the first person to answer the door had been Ludwig. They stared at each other for a few minutes, not really sure what to make of each other, before Gilbert jumped down the stairs and shoved Ludwig away.

"Heya, Artie!" he said with a grin. "Don't mind my little bro, Luddy. He won't be bugging us."

Arthur nodded, though still curious about the other boy who had walked back up the stairs to his room. Later that same day, Gilbert had ran off to use the bathroom, leaving Arthur alone. That's when Ludwig decided to make himself known.

"Hello," he said softly and Arthur jumped a little.

"Oh, i-it's you," he mumbled. "Um…what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to meet you. Gilbert never lets me talk to any of his friends…"

"Oh…" Arthur felt sorry for the kid and almost invited him to play some video games with them but Gilbert came stomping back into the room. When he saw his brother, he scowled.

"Lud, I told ya not to bother my friends!"

"H-He wasn't," Arthur said. Both Gilbert and Ludwig stared at him with wide eyes. "We were just introducing ourselves, Gilbert," he continued. He stuck his hand out at Ludwig. "I'm Arthur. Nice to meet you."

Ludwig's blue eyes were wide. His cheeks were very pink as he shyly shook his hand back. "I-I'm Ludwig."

"Greaaaat, now that you're both acquainted, can we get back to our game, Artie?" Gilbert groaned, rolling his eyes. "Lud, you better head back to your room. Dad's gonna be pissed if you didn't finish your homework."

Arthur watched Ludwig walk away, looking over his shoulder at him sadly. It was in that moment Arthur somehow knew he'd be seeing Ludwig a lot more in the future.


	7. Chapter 7: First Kiss

_**Author's note:**__ Another jump in the timeline c: I might just post another chapter after this...because I can._

* * *

_**Chapter 7**_

**First Kiss**

* * *

Their first kiss happened by accident. If anyone were to ask when their first kiss was, they would both say, "On New Years Eve when we were both adults." That would be a lie.

In reality, it happened when Arthur was 17 and Ludwig was 15. Gilbert was hosting a party at his house while his father was away on business for the weekend and so Arthur had been called in to help set things up. Ludwig had been unwillingly recruited to help as well.

"Lud, did you get the chip and dip out?" Gilbert called from the upstairs.

"Yes," the younger teenager replied irritably.

"And Artie, you set up the big screen, right?"

Arthur said a few choice swear words before replying. "Yes, for the one hundredth time, Gilbert!"

Gilbert almost flew down the stairs. "Man, this is gonna be the most badass party ever."

"If you say so," Arthur grumbled.

It wasn't long before people started arriving. Ludwig was forced to serve drinks and Arthur was told to look out for him so the two of them went to the kitchen, both angry at Gilbert for making them work so hard.

"This party is stupid," Arthur sighed.

Ludwig cocked his head to the side. "You think so too?"

"I don't even _know_half these people."

"Maybe Father will come home early from his business trip…"

"We can only hope, right?" Arthur chuckled a little.

Gilbert walked into the kitchen, glaring at them. "Yo, guys, people want drinks out there."

"Right, right," Arthur rolled his eyes.

Ludwig glared at his brother and finished pouring the drinks. "You should treat me nicer if you don't want me telling Father, Gilbert."

"…Are you _threatening_me, Lud?" Gilbert towered over him.

"Hey, hey, leave him alone," Arthur said, blocking Ludwig from Gilbert's intense glare. "Go be a good host or whatever. We'll bring the drinks out soon."

"You better." Gilbert walked back out to mingle among his guests, leaving a very tense atmosphere behind.

"I swear, his ego makes him such an arse sometimes," Arthur snarled.

"You didn't have to defend me, Arthur."

Arthur shrugged. "I'm a little brother myself. I know what it's like to be treated like shite."

"Well…thanks."

"No problem. Careful with those drinks there."

Ludwig was almost back into the room with the party when someone rushed by and knocked him off balance. He fell back into Arthur and they both fell to the floor. All the drinks spilled around them. But that wasn't Ludwig's main concern right now. He turned around to see if Arthur was all right.

"Arthur?" He shook the older boy.

Green eyes opened slowly. Arthur sat up quickly and didn't seem to realize just how close Ludwig was. Their lips met instantly. Ludwig's eyes were wide and Arthur's were even wider. Arthur pulled back quickly, hiding his blush and standing up on wobbly legs. "L-Let's pretend nothing happened," he mumbled.

Ludwig nodded, his own cheeks just as red. He never imagined years later they'd be kissing again.


	8. Chapter 8: First Date

_**Author's note:**__ First date time oh mai~ ;w; TECHNICALLY this chapter is less about the actual date and more about what happens BEFORE the date. Hurrhurr. Arthur is 26 and Ludwig is 24 here._

* * *

_**Chapter 8**_

**First Date**

* * *

The first time they went on a date, Gilbert was there to make things ten times more uncomfortable. Arthur had spent the better part of an hour grooming himself and making sure nothing was out of place on his person. When he rang Ludwig's doorbell, he prepared himself to greet the taller man, not his…older brother.

Gilbert regarded him with narrowed eyes. "Oh. Um. Hello, Gil," Arthur said nervously. "I-Is Ludwig around?"

"Yeah. He's around." Gilbert looked angry. Did he know? "Why are you here, Artie?"

"W-We were going to…um…"

"Brother, Arthur and I are going out to dinner tonight," Ludwig graciously came into the room just then, glaring down at Gilbert.

"Without me?"

He sighed. "Yes, without you."

Gilbert's eyes narrowed further. "Is there something you're not telling me?" He looked between Arthur (who was turning redder the longer he stood in the doorway) to Ludwig (who was very pink already).

"We are…uh…" Ludwig couldn't find the words now and looked hopelessly at Arthur for help.

"I asked Ludwig out to dinner!" he said in a rush, wincing a little.

Gilbert folded his arms over his chest. "You…asked Luddy out? Like on a date?"

Arthur nodded quickly. "I'm sorry I never said anything, Gil. I-It just happened so fast…"

"You asked out my baby brother?"

The Brit gulped a little. "Y-Yes."

"The fuck's wrong with you, man?" He moved forward as if he planned to hit him, but something large stood in his way.

"Gilbert!" Ludwig cried, blocking Arthur from his brother.

"I never said he could date you!" Gilbert snarled.

"I don't need permission!" Ludwig snapped back. "I am a grown man now, brother. I can decide who I will and will not share my time with."

Arthur peeked out from behind Ludwig. Gilbert was pouting, like he usually did when he didn't get his way. "Why Artie though? I mean…you guys…I dunno. It seems weird."

"I like him," Arthur and Ludwig said at once. Both of them looked at each other in surprise and blushed, looking off in different directions.

Gilbert wrinkled his nose. "Blech. Fine. Go out or whatever. But Artie, if you hurt my brother in any way, shape, or form I'm gonna have to kill ya."

Arthur blinked. "Um…I promise I won't."

Gilbert waved them away, as though he was tired of looking at them. "Go on. Leave. Be gay together."

Arthur wanted to retort back, but Ludwig steered him out the door, grabbing his jacket off the rack as he did so. Once they were outside, Ludwig gave a great big sigh. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't expect him to come over tonight."

"It's all right," the Brit mumbled. "He's just looking out for you."

Ludwig's lips turned up in a small smile. "I suppose. S-Should we get going?"

"Y-Yeah," Arthur replied, cheeks red. They made their way down the apartment steps side by side and only once they got to the bottom did Arthur lean closer and slowly take Ludwig's hand into his own. Ludwig looked down immediately and blushed. Arthur pulled his hand away suddenly. "Sorry."

"No." Ludwig reached down to hold his hand again. "I…didn't mind."

Arthur smiled and blushed as they walked down the sidewalk, hand in hand.


	9. Chapter 9: Arthur's In Love

_**Author's note:**__ Wow. It's been kind of a long time, huh? OTL I'm sorry about that. Life got in the way, plus I'm a horrible perfectionist and procrastinator so I wanted this chapter to be perfect and then I got lazy and...yeah. Enough excuses. This chapter is pretty self-explainatory I guess. There's a companion chapter I'll post right after. Um...enjoy? c:_

* * *

**Chapter 9: Arthur's In Love **

* * *

The first time Arthur realized he was in love with Ludwig was when he was 18. He and Gilbert (and his other two obnoxious friends Antonio and Francis) were celebrating and drinking after their graduation at Gilbert's house. All of them were still in their robes.

"Maaaaaan, I can't believe it's over!" Gilbert cried.

"Indeed, _mon ami_. Seems like only yesterday we were playing pranks on our little Student Council President here," Francis sneered, pinching Arthur's cheek affectionately.

"Don't touch me, frog!" Arthur snapped. He took a swig from his beer bottle. "I won't miss any of you."

"Awww," Antonio clung to his side. "Not even me?"

"No. Not even you."

The others laughed and Arthur grinned. Then he spotted a familiar face peeking around the corner of the room. Arthur almost wanted to invite him over but Gilbert beat him to the punch.

"Oi! Luddy! Come celebrate with us!"

Ludwig slowly walked into the room, taking a seat beside Francis. "Oh my, look how big you have gotten~" Francis cooed, leaning against Ludwig and slipping a hand down his back. "Gilbert, you did not tell me how handsome your brother had become!"

"Because I don't notice that kinda shit, Franny," Gilbert growled. "Hands off my brother."

"But he is so firm!"

Gilbert tackled Francis off the couch. Antonio was doubled over with laughter as the two of them wrestled on the floor. Francis was screeching as Gilbert pulled his hair. "_Mon dieu_, do you have any idea how long it took me to get those curls?"

"Like I give a fuck!"

Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes. He hadn't liked Francis touching Ludwig either, but he figured it was just protective brother instincts. After all, he had known Ludwig a long time and treated him like a brother. Ludwig remained on the couch, blushing and staring at his lap. Arthur glanced back at Gilbert and Francis fighting and shrugged, standing up to go sit beside the younger man.

"Hey," he said. "Francis hits on anything that moves. Don't let it get to you."

"I know," Ludwig mumbled back. He turned to look at Arthur. "So…what will you do now?"

Arthur blinked. "I'm going to university. You probably won't see much of me for awhile."

"Oh." Ludwig looked a little sad.

"We can send each other e-mails?" Arthur offered. "You have a mobile, right? We can text or something."

Ludwig nodded. "Will you come to my graduation?"

"If you want me to, I will." Arthur patted his back with a brotherly smile. "I won't be gone forever, Ludwig. Besides, you have Gilbert."

Ludwig smiled back and Arthur paused, staring at him and feeling his mouth go dry. Oh crap. Oh _fuck_. He'd never noticed before but Ludwig's eyes were _such_ a lovely blue, and his skin was so fair, and Francis had been right, he was very tall and muscular and _oh_ that smile was absolutely _divine_. Arthur couldn't stop all these thoughts running through his head. He was utterly smitten.

He shook his head a little, trying to clear his mind. "Thank you," Ludwig said softly and Arthur wanted to kiss him, like he had last year. But that had been by accident. This time he would have snogged him until the younger boy was breathless. He smiled back, taking another drink from his beer bottle.

"N-No problem." _Bollocks_, he thought.

* * *

_Dun, dun, DUUUUUUN. _


	10. Chapter 10: Ludwig's In Love

_**Author's note: **Hope everyone is liking this fic so far. I have so many different ideas to put in but I'm trying to keep to the ones that matter most. _

* * *

**Chapter 10: Ludwig's In Love **

* * *

The first time Ludwig fell in love with Arthur was when he was 15. After the kiss incident at Gilbert's party, he wasn't able to stop thinking about his brother's best friend and how he had tasted. He admired Arthur. He was on the student council and did so many amazing things and he sometimes wished he was older so that he could actually be in classes with him.

The only times he saw Arthur in school was passing him in the hall. He saw him almost every weekend when Gilbert invited him over. It was during this time Ludwig started feeling _things_. Whenever Arthur came over to visit, Ludwig's pants would become tighter and he'd have to excuse himself. He later learned it was a natural reaction boys had. But…to their brother's friend?

Ludwig tried to ignore the feelings. But Arthur had this way of making him feel light-headed. He didn't treat him like an annoying younger brother like Gilbert did. He treated him as an equal and Ludwig was drawn to that. When Arthur and Gilbert were busy playing games in the basement, Ludwig was up in his room trying to study. Only he couldn't concentrate and kept thinking of Arthur until eventually he would put his hand down his pants and deal with the problem himself.

He was embarrassed every time he did it; like it was something forbidden. He knew it was something every boy did but most boys probably thought of girls they liked. Ludwig was thinking of Arthur each and every time he got off. At first he assumed it was just hormones. Then he started reading up on anything he could and even asked people on forums (anonymously of course) what it could mean.

Most replies were the same. _"Sounds like you're gay." "You got it bad for this guy." "Just tell him already." "It's kinda cute." _

Ludwig would spend countless hours each and every night dealing with these conflicting feelings. He liked Arthur. A lot. That much was obvious. But did he want a relationship with him? He tried to picture them behaving like a couple and blushed. It was all so complicated.

And then one night when Gilbert let him join in on some games he and Arthur were playing, he found himself staring at Arthur. Arthur had really nice eyes, his eyebrows weren't monstrous like Gilbert liked to say, and his hair looked so soft; soft enough that Ludwig wanted reach over and run his hands through it. Ludwig's cheeks were a little red and then he looked down and noticed the tent in his pants. He quickly excused himself and ran to the bathroom and locked the door, covering his face with his hands in shame.

_What is wrong with me?_ _Why does he make me feel like this? _

He dare not take care of this with Gilbert and Arthur in the next room. But he also couldn't just come back out with a very obvious problem…

Ludwig sighed and stuck his hand down the front of his pants and started to rub, imagining Arthur doing this for him and almost instantly he was done, panting for breath and hunched over against the door on wobbly legs. Making sure to clean up the mess, he walked back out to join his brother and Arthur.

"What took you so long, Luddy?" Gilbert said with a laugh. "You jerkin' off in there?"

Ludwig turned very red. "Shut up, Gilbert."

Arthur stared at him curiously before shrugging and turning back to the game. "Ignore him," he said to Ludwig. "Your brother's just an arse."

"Hey!"

Ludwig's heart was beating a mile a minute, and that's when he knew.


	11. Chapter 11: 'Socialites'

_**Author's note: **I love writing all these different interactions with the happy couple. And I especially love jealous!Arthur. This chapter obviously takes place much later in the future when Arthur and Ludwig are finally a couple. Also at this time, they're sharing an apartment together. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 11: 'Socialites' **

* * *

Their first social gathering as a couple was when Gilbert invited them to his apartment (technically it was Francis') for a little get together. Francis and Antonio were glad to see them and Arthur was forced into hugs and kisses from his old friends until he noticed Francis smiling and swooning over Ludwig.

"My goodness, you have grown into a very handsome man," he was saying. Arthur felt his temper rising. Francis laid a hand on Ludwig's arm. "Yes, very nice." Arthur clenched his fists. Francis' hand traveled down to Ludwig's butt, causing the taller man to jump and blush. "_Very_ nice." Arthur stomped forward and shoved Francis away with a glare.

"Hands off, frog!" he hissed, standing in front of Ludwig.

Francis recovered from the shove with a smile. "Oho? What is this? A little jealously?"

Arthur continued to glare at him. Ludwig put a hand on his shoulder and he slowly calmed down. Francis and Antonio were staring at them curiously now.

"Oh, did I forget to tell you guys?" Gilbert said from the couch. "Lud and Artie are dating now."

Francis and Antonio blinked. "Really?" Antonio said. "Congratulations!"

"Well if I had known that I wouldn't have made such inappropriate moves on you, chérie," Francis said to Ludwig. "Can you forgive me?"

Ludwig nodded and felt Arthur wrap his arms around him protectively. He felt oddly pleased. He led them towards a chair to sit down in and pulled Arthur onto his lap, the older man still glaring at Francis.

"Arthur, you can stop looking at me as though you wish to skin me alive," Francis said with a roll of his eyes. "I made a mistake, oui? Do not hate me for it."

"I'm still deciding if I'll forgive you or not," Arthur snarled.

"Ludwig, be a dear and call off your guard dog."

"I am _not_—"

"Arthur," Ludwig said softly. "He apologized."

The Brit pouted but sighed. "Fine. Sorry, frog." He snuggled against Ludwig, daring anyone to say anything.

Gilbert stood up from the couch and made a face upon seeing them sitting together. "Right…anyway. I'm glad we could all get together like this again. It's been way too long!"

"It has," Francis agreed. "Although you live with Tonio and I, so it technically hasn't been long for us."

"Ha ha, Francis."

"You two are so cute!" Antonio suddenly gushed at Ludwig and Arthur. Both of them turned crimson. "You remind me of me and my Lovi."

"Feliciano's brother?" Ludwig said suddenly. He was friends with Feliciano and had been for years but they'd lost touch after graduation when Feliciano moved back to Italy.

"The very same," Antonio smiled. "He says he hates me but I know that's just how he shows affection!"

Arthur quirked a brow. "I see. Well…congratulations, I guess."

"Ahhh, sweet love," Francis cooed. "My loins adore it."

"Keep your loins away from us," Arthur sneered.

"I'm alone, in case anyone was wondering," Gilbert said proudly.

"I thought you liked that Elizaveta girl from your work, brother?" Ludwig said with wide eyes.

"Well I do and she's totally into me, she just doesn't know it yet, but she's so hung up on this other guy in the office and he's such a prick."

"I…see."

"Yeah, her loss, right?"

Francis pat his shoulder sympathetically. "If you are lonely, you need only call me and I shall slip into your room and—"

"Francis, dude, no. Stay the hell away from my room."

They all laughed and Arthur found he had actually missed being around everyone like this. He cuddled closer to Ludwig, who blushed but wrapped an arm around his waist. The five of them talked and laughed long into the night until Ludwig noticed the time and figured he and Arthur should head back home.

"I know you have work in the morning," he said to his protesting boyfriend.

Arthur blushed but nodded, mumbling his goodbyes. Antonio hugged him and almost didn't let go had Francis not peeled him away to bestow two kisses on his cheeks. "Take care, Sourcils," he winked. "I hope we shall see you again?"

"Maybe," Arthur said with a grin. He and Ludwig waved to them as they walked out the door towards Ludwig's car. "That wasn't as horrible as I thought it'd be," he muttered.

"It was interesting," Ludwig added, getting in on the driver's side.

"I honestly didn't think I would have missed those idiots so much."

Ludwig smiled a little. "You're happy we went then?"

"I guess." He shrugged with a smirk. "Also, I'm…sorry I got so jealous earlier. Usually I don't get like that but Francis just makes me so _mad_ sometimes and I—"

Ludwig rested his hand on Arthur's. "It's all right. I understand, Arthur."

"O-Oh. Well." He cleared his throat nervously. "Shall we head home?"

With a nod, Ludwig started the car and they made the somewhat long drive back to their apartment, still holding hands.


End file.
